


I Need You

by Lucasfilm



Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: Depression, Dreams and Nightmares, F/F, Grief/Mourning, Insomnia, Loss of Powers, Nightmares, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-02
Updated: 2017-12-15
Packaged: 2018-04-24 10:46:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,933
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4916548
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lucasfilm/pseuds/Lucasfilm
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This fiction is basically about how Max has trouble getting back to her normal life, it goes to current time 2015 and back to 2013 in November. It does involve Max's parents from time to time. I've just started working on this again and its been way too long I'm sorry lmao</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Nobody knows what's going to happen in their life, nobody likes to look at the future. 

Romanticizing it, glorifying it, exaggerating it but do they ever look at what might actually happen in an instant? Max knew this all too well, considering she's seen a person she holds close to her heart die multiple times. Her rewind powers disappeared along with that fateful week in october, not considering the horrible damage it would do to her psyche. 

She’s had nightmares continuously, Chloe dying, friends dying, Mom and Dad dying. She couldn't handle it, waking up in cold sweats, writhing in her sheets, screaming in the middle of the night. She had just moved into an apartment with Chloe finally starting college and her work was finally being noticed. But that didn’t help at all with her anxiety, she never really went to bed in silence. 

It was around 10 P.M. when Max was sitting on the couch cuddling with Chloe when she decided to go to bed, considering she had classes at 8 A.M. the next morning. Yawning wide she let out a exasperated sigh, “Chloe, I think I’m gonna go to bed. This hipster’s battery is low…” 

“Alright Maxi, don’t forget to leave space on the bed for me or you’ll regret it.” Chloe breathed giving Max a kiss on the forehead. With a push and a shove between the duo Max finally decided to head to the chamber of slumber, and lay her head down for the night. 

She brushed her teeth, changed into some PJ’s, turned off the lights heading to bed. She passed out pretty quickly almost as if the pillow were a cloud and she fell through to a different land, except this oasis wasn't very pretty. 

It started with the junkyard, Piles of Broken trinkets and jacked up cars that have been there since the 70s. There were a couple boats and a ship out of water probably because of having a leak, but it gave Max a haunting feeling, like she was in a shipwreck graveyard. There was a lot of rust, if you would call this place anything other than a piece of shit you would call it rustic really, really rustic. 

Her radar of bad things to come was going berserk, she only knew that she had to find someone. Walking around the junkyard she saw many different scenarios going on in her head, of Chloe and Chloe dying. One was that fateful moment when gun shooting gone wrong got a bullet ricocheted straight into her heart, except the only thing she could do was watch. She tried to rewind but nothing was happening and that wasn’t the worst part. She could hear the screams of her girlfriend, crying out for help, for Max to do anything. 

But she couldn’t. 

Her mind was pulsing in pain, like her skull was splitting in half. She felt as if her head could burst at any moment. 

Half hunched over from the pain in her head she saw another Chloe while walking towards the train tracks. Her foot was stuck in a crevice of the rails, she could hear the girls screams so vividly that it was like she was back in October when she saw her die 5 times. She never forgot the sound adding to her fear. 

“Chloe!” Max desperately screamed unable to make it to her from her crippling head pains. 

“MAX! please, help me! Max, please!” Max could see the despair in her face it was almost real to her. Feeling the tears swell in her eyes she fell to the floor scrunching into a fetal position of misery, she could barely save Chloe in October. She realized she would never be able to bring her back, her powers disappeared in the end of that week, and so did her sure footing and sanity.

Chloe was sluggish watching the T.V. when she felt her eyelids drooping and her head nodding anyway it can to find a place to rest. It had been at least an hour since Max fell asleep and she decided to stay up alittle longer, a bit cautious of Max’s mental state. 

She finally let her head fall down on the back of the couch when she heard a loud shriek of terror come from the bedroom, she bolted awake alarmed. Dashing to the bedroom half throwing the door open at full force, she saw Max scream into her hands shifting over and over in the bed. 

“Chloe! ...I’m sorry…! Chloe!!” she cried in her sleep. Chloe jumped on the bed, trying to shake Max awake. 

“Max, wake up it’s okay I’m here, I’m okay!” She said straddling Max’s body holding her hands, trying to get her to come to. She felt the smaller girl’s body begin writhing beneath her, and she held harder on her wrists knuckles turning white. She reached to Max’s neck with her right hand, rubbing softly behind her earlobe, whispering in her other, “It’s okay, Max. I’m here, I’m real. I’m alive.” 

Gripping tightly to the back of Chloe’s shirt she could feel the smaller girl coming to. 

“Chloe! Chloe, oh my dog…” Max gasped wrapping her arms around her in tears, “I… I saw you die… More than once and… and I…” She felt the sobs wreck her body, crying into Chloe’s shoulder. She couldn’t bare the pain those dreams brought her, Chloe was always there for her and it helped but she couldn’t get rid of the nightmares. They were scattered around for a couple months, sometimes every night sometimes not at all. October of last year was probably the worst for her. 

** November 2013  **

“Now when you get these dreams, are they very realistic or fantasy?” The therapist asked holding his pen to the paper waiting for her answer. 

“Vivid, almost like I'm reliving a moment in my life that was terrible.” She said vaguely, trying not to reveal the fact she would sound like a lunatic telling him she had rewind powers. 

“And… who are involved in these dreams?” 

“Me; Of course, my… friend Chloe and that's pretty much it.” 

“And what happens in these ‘visions’ you have?” 

“I walk around unsure of what's going on… and then… I see her… Die.” Max choked back tears knowing that her therapist would never understand. Never knowing she was taken by Mr. Jefferson because it never really happened, or that she has seen her friend die more times than possible. She saw Kate hit the ground twice, Frank die, Rachel's body and the Dark Room where Mark kept his victims. To the therapist- Dr. Corpen- he would never know any of her struggles, making it 3 times harder for her to cope and talk about it. Chloe is the only one who knows about her powers she used to have, but there are some things she can't even tell her. 

“How does this anxiety and PTSD happen without a cause or an accident to really happen, that's my question. a month ago you would've been a normal teenager and now you look like you been through hell and back.” Max’s Father asks grabbing Max by the hand wishing that he could heal every part of her that's broken. 

“We won't be able to make a diagnosis yet, we need more therapy sessions to get to the deep parts of her brain. Do you have trouble sleeping?” Dr. Corpen asked, she nodded answering the question. “I think it’d be best to keep you off medication for now, but if your schedule gets out of line we might have to go there. So I’ll see you next Friday, remember the coping strategies we talked about alright?” Max nodded her head again getting up grabbing her bag, walking out swiftly. All she wanted then and there was to be with Chloe making sure she was safe and intact, but knowing she needed space and time to come to terms with Rachel she only ever texted her or called when she was available. 

**Max: 3:14 PM Friday November 13**  

Hey, you busy? 

**Chloe: 3:15 PM Friday November 13**  

No, everything go okay Maxi? 

**Max 3:18 PM Friday November 13**  

Not really, I guess I have PTSD and Insomnia. 

** Chloe: 3:21 PM Friday November 13  **

Oh boy… 

**Chloe: 3:22 PM Friday November 13**

wait at ur dorm, b there in 10  



	2. November

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Why are you jealous of her Maxi? You know you've been my best pal since we were in grade school. I love you you just as much as her."
> 
> "It's nothing nevermind you wouldn't understand..."

CHAPTER 2

When she got back to her dorm she threw her bag on the couch dropping herself onto her bed. She felt like she had the world on her shoulders, wishing that just for once she could have a break. what did I do to deserve this… her eyes started to tear up when she heard her door open and felt herself be wrapped in a hug so tight she could barely breathe.

“Chloe... can't… breathe…” she let out with what little breath she had. Chloe was straddling her waist, giving her the hug of death. she finally let go when Max started laughing like she was delusional. She could feel the blush on her face rising while cracking up, hiding her face with her hands. Chloe went to move them when Max meshed her hands with the punk, staring up at her with half lidded eyes. She had never felt this type of longing for someone since she left for seattle. Chloe was her other half, being away from her now was to much to handle.

“Good you're laughing, no more crying. I don’t like it when my Maxi-pad cries, you're supposed to keep things dry; hence the name.” Chloe said with a wink, Max rolling her eyes and pushing her off. Max sat up playfully pushing Chloe, she felt this lulling sadness pulling her back in falling back down. She didn't want to feel this way, she wanted to be strong for her blue haired friend. Her heart ached for her crying out to be loved, but she didn't even know if she liked her back. 

Who was she kidding she liked Rachel even if she was gone, she respected her feelings but something in her hated she could never be as good as her. She could never receive love from Chloe like Rachel, could never replace her. Rachel was her angel, and Max felt like she was only a friend making the anger in her rattle in its cage. She wanted to be her light but she knew she was just in Rachel's shadow in comparison, she wanted to scream from the pressure in her chest. 

Her heart was aching at the thoughts swimming in her mind causing a rush of water to flow through her tear ducts. First a drip, then the next followed by a few others. Chloe looked at her immediately trying patch the leaks in the ceiling.

“I’m sorry, Max. please don’t cry, you know those names are just a joke,” Chloe whispered lifting her face with her left,wiping the tears with her right. “Max…?”

“No don’t apologize, you did nothing.” voice wavering managing a half crooked smile, pulling down her sleeve to wipe her tears away.

“It can’t be nothing, you can tell me anything. Mates for life… remember…” losing her confidence in her last words reaching her hand up to Max’s. She held her hand on her cheek for what felt like an eternity, feeling her gaze burning her.

“I just, I can’t help but feel jealous of… of Rachel…” At that Max finally lifted her eyes to meet an expression she couldn't quite grasp at. It was like a mixture of surprise and sorrow in one but she could see another itch in it, she couldn’t pinpoint it whether it was anger or joy.

“Why are you jealous of her Maxi? you know you've been my best pal since we were in grade school. I love you just as much as her.”

“It’s nothing nevermind you wouldn’t understand…”

“Come on, you know I know you better than anyone else. Please just tell me? You’ll get it Missy if you don’t.” poking the younger girls sides but it was of no avail.

“I’m not gonna tell you! It’s pointless.” ricocheting back almost screaming at her. Looking back up to her blue eyes she saw something she never knew could come from Chloe.

Worry. Worry for her bestfriend, her Mate who was feeling like shit and couldn’t help her. She could see tears welling up in her eyes, heart breaking for her. Heart ripping to pieces because she wanted to be there for her, wanted to stand up and be her shield. But she stood in the way of her own wishes, being the wall between her and Max. 

"Max, I know I haven't been the best of friends, you probably want a better friend and I know I'm shit at comfort but I want to help you here. I Hella fucking love you, Maxi. And I won't let you be all depressed and shit." She slouched her body resting her head in her hands. "I'm sorry Max, you deserve better..."

Max felt Chloe’s body shake with sobs, but quickly tried to stop herself. Sitting back up and wiping her face, "I don't cry in front of people, I man up." She laughed.

Max wrapped her arms around her digging her face into her shoulder, "Chloe I don't need you to be my knight in shining armor, I need you to be here and just listen. That's all that matters to me." She lifted her head to look at the taller girl, “I love you too, Chloe and no one could ever replace you. If I hadn’t reunited with you last month I don't know if I would've made it this long…”

Chloe didn’t know what to say, she felt something in herself for this girl but she couldn’t put her finger on it. Max was an amazing friend to her, she’s a smart cookie. She was always helping her out of tough situations, and it was pretty helpful when Max could solve the crossword when it stumped her. She’s also very beautiful, every time Chloe looked at her she couldn’t help but get lost in her eyes. And her way with words oh my god, she could talk Chloe's ear off and she wouldn’t care.

“Chloe?” the smaller girl said like she was humming a beautiful tune.

“uh, yeah?”

“I like you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is Chapter 2! Hope you guys like it.  
> I'll have more in the next week or so.  
> Please feel free to leave constructive criticism or what you like about this. I appreciate it.


	3. The Roadtrip

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> NO EMOJIS

**Chapter Three**

Chloe’s head went blank, she didn't know what had happened.

“That’s what I didn’t want to tell you…” She sighed into her hands. They sat there in silence, Max shifting through her thoughts. “I’ve been trying to keep my distance recently with the fact you’re still grieving Rachel but I can't hold it back anymore. The more I try the harder it gets and-” 

Max was interrupted by a kiss, a soft one but she knew it was a sort of confirmation. Chloe while sitting on the bed, wrapped her arms around Max pulling her in closer. Max felt a million butterflies swimming in her body. Chloe’s lips lifted the stress from Max’s shoulders. Pulling away Chloe said, “I like you too, you stubborn butt. I’ve liked you since the 3rd grade!”

Max blushed looking away from her, she felt her heart flutter at the thought of Chloe having feelings for her. When she looked back Chloe was already staring making it worse for her, “stop, oh my dog Chloe!” hiding her face. They laughed leaning their heads together, as if there was no problems in the world.

 

 **Present**  
Chloe laid down next to Max, one arm across her body tracing circles on her tummy.

“I wish this would go away, I’m so tired Chloe.” Max said, as she shed a tear. Chloe didn't know how to respond, all she could feel at the moment was to pull her in and comfort her without words but subtle gestures. Pulling her in and kissing her gently on the shoulder, softly circling. “I just don't get it, it's been so long I figured the way I feel would have gone away.”

Chloe stopped for a moment, “this is forever Max, whether you like it or not. Mental illness never really goes away, baby.” continuing.

Max laughed at the notion of Chloe calling her baby. It was enough to lighten the mood for her and keep her mind off the dreams.

“Let's go on a trip.” Chloe said staring into the distance. Max shifted her body to her in surprise, making Chloe back up a bit.

“Really?”

“I’m serious, I think a long road and no real destination will help you.”

Max giddily hugged her. They laid there in embrace for awhile, until the comfort of one another's touch lulled them away to a land further off.

By the time Chloe finally woke up she was alone in the bed, with only a few traces of her lover left behind. She got up and walked over to the bathroom and got ready for the day. Continuing afterwards to the kitchen to make some coffee, only to find she had gotten a text from Max. 

**Max: 11:32am Friday March 23**  
Chloe I have been thinking about what you said last night and I would love to go on a road trip with you. I’ll leave the planing to you, don't make it too fun! 

She couldn’t help but smile in excitement, replying:

 **Chloe: 11:57am Friday March 23**  
Okay, Love! I’ll get right on that!

Max later then replied with emojis, to which chloe replied NO EMOJIS.

**Author's Note:**

> This is is just a story I've been working on for a little while. It's not much, and I don't know if I'll keep writing it.
> 
> Feel free to leave criticism and ideas in the comments.


End file.
